Starter Tip: Try to avoid using ‘Time’ in automations

This may be a weird starter tip, even one that most advanced persons still even do. But try to avoid using anything having to do with time metering in your automations.

There are of course exceptions but hear me out.

When dealing with lighting and circadian rhythms or scenes, using time based triggers aren’t best as the sun’s luminance throughout the day chances depending on the seasons.

My wife was ready to throw out our smart bulbs this summer when they would auto dim to nightlight mode at 8pm. Everyday at 8pm they would dim to a level that was frustrating and you were not able to see anything. The sun was still somewhat bright outside back in early July at 8pm. So having a nightlight inside made it so that you couldn’t actually see what you were doing.

8pm in the winter time though, this nightlight mode worked great. Added in a real cozy setting to our house in the winter months.

There are many sensors out there that can add additional triggers that you can automate around. For example we are using the lux metering of a FP300 to sense the ambient outdoor lighting and using those values to trigger when the nightlight mode should be turning on.

Don’t turn off a light after 2 minutes of inactivity… especially if you’re not using a mmWave sensor… cause if you’re only doing micro movements in that 2 minutes you’ll find yourself in the dark and waving your arms like a moron trying to reactivate the lights right after this.

Time is not the best trigger, our lives are busy and nothing is down to the second for automations to plan around. Use other triggers to set up your automations.

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I was surprised this needed saying, especially for lights. However, I’d say that it shouldn’t even be based on time relative to sun rise and sunset. Lights ar best based on Luminosity in the room combined with Presence Sensors. Reason being that, in Winter, it can still be a while to sunset but because it is dark and cloudy, luminosity is down.

It is also worth saying that lights can come on with motion sensors, but not turn off… which is why you need presence sensors.

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Agreed best to look at the average lux over mins or so then turn on/off the lights. At times, in Scotland, it is darker at noon than 4pm so they need to adjust.

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